Save money by changing commute options

Looking for a little extra cash at the end of the summer? You could earn money this month by changing the way to get to work.
 
Next week, Georgia Commute Options kicks off their Commute Pursuit Challenge and they want to give you $3 a day for making a small change to how to commute. They want you to try carpooling, ride on transit, bike, or walk to work. They'll even pay you to work from home!
 
Trudy Buatu started carpooling from Acworth to Smyrna when gas prices were high a few years ago and she never looked back. "Here I am, I have three carpoolers later and I'm loving it.," says Trudy.
 
She tells all her friends. "I recommend it to everybody. I tell everybody about it because how often do you make money while you're driving into work?" Trudy asks.
 
And right now Georgia Commute Options, a program through the Georgia DOT,  wants to spread that love by offering new users $3 a day just for trying a new way to get to work.
 
"You get $3 a day, up to $100, but we're also going to give you an extra $25 dollars if you log 13 trips within that 90 days," explains Georgia DOT spokesperson Natalie Dale.
 
To qualify, plan to carpool, vanpool, take transit, bike or walk to the office. You can also change how and when you get to work and even telework, getting paid to work from home.
 
"You have a lot of options to choose a cleaner, safer, shorter, stress free commute," adds Dale. "We encourage you to take basically any form of transportation that isn't sitting in your car by yourself."
 
Just take Trudy's advice, "It's an easy ride to work and an easy ride home and you have somebody to decompress with so when you get home it's not so bad on the family."
 
"We find that once you do try a different option with Georgia Commute, you're likely to stick to it," adds Dale.
 
The Commute Pursuit Challenge begins Monday July 13th and runs through the end of the month, July 31st. You can earn up to $100 for logging your commute, but you will also be eligible to win one of three $25 gift cards each week.
 
To get started with a carpool or vanpool, ask your employer to see if there's one already set up. If not, the Georgia Commute Options website has a free ride matching service to pair you with drivers who live and work in the same parts of town that you do.

For more information, go to the Georgia Commute Options website.